Awoke to sun again. Said goodbye to our excellent hostess, Robyn, and the two poodles King Louis and Cleo (host Peter and the two cats being absent), before setting off down to Auckland. We made 
a detour to the Tutukaka coast - thought Sandy Bay and Matipouri beaches were fabulous. Then stopped off at the Whangarei falls - quite unlike the Hurura falls but equally scenic. Afterwards we drove steadily south watching our petrol gauge and comparing it with the dis
tance still to go as shown on the Navman - we did not want to have to top up the petrol! We managed it - including taking a drive along Tamiki Drive which extends from the city some miles eastwards to St Helier all along the southern shore of the harbour. There are some great beaches along this stretch - lots of people were swimming and enjoying relaxing on the sands or walking/cycling along the waterfront. Nice to be back at the De Brett. Have just luxuriated in another deep bathtub and are off to have our complimentary drink in the guests' lounge before eating in 'Kitchen', the De Brett restaurant which has a very good reputation. ... Later, a really exceptional (nouvelle cuisine - our preference) meal at Kitchen - one of the best we've had in quite some time, and with a great Pinot Noir from Amsfield in Central Otago.
Monday 28 March
A m
uch sunnier morning - and not so humid - but the weather was variable throughout the day and the wind made it seem chilly at times. Went by ferry over to Russell where we took the steep walk up to Flagstaff Hill which provides good views over Russell, to Paihia. and outwards towards the other islands in the Bay. There are 144 islands in the Bay of the Islands - only 4 have homes on them and two of the islands are privately owned. They are all protected but can be visited on a daily basis by those who have their 
own boats/kayaks etc. Unfortunately dogs are prohibited because of the native birds which have been reintroduced to the islands, particularly kiwis which are doing very well in this part of New Zealand.
Sunday 27 March
The weather forecast had warned of an approaching cyclone and the threat of heavy rain again so we were surprised to awake to a benign day. We breakfasted (deliciously) in our hosts' conservatory on the next level up - even more spectacular views than ours! And made friends with their two poodles and two Siamese/Red Tortie cats.
Because of our expectation of the arrival of more rough weather, we went to Kerikeri about 14 miles distant, and enjoyed looking around their farmers' market and buying some produce for our planned 'picnic supper'. I also bought a couple of felted items in their craft market. We then went down to the creek to one of NZ's historical sites and took a guided tour at the oldest stone building and oldest wooden building in New Zealand, created by early members of the Christian Missionary Society, and also looked around an early church which was part of the same settlement. Across the creek a Maori fishing village has been re-created which was equally interesting. On our retur
n journey we stopped to take a walk in a reserve beside the Haruru river - and to take photos of the Haruru horseshoe-shaped falls which were particularly impressive following the heavy rains the previous day. Some rain did fall in the early evening but we had already returned to our comfortable apartment and have remained rooted here. (Very co-incidentally the other apartment has just been occupied by a couple of Swiss women whom we met in the guests' lounge at the De Brett - they are also here for 3 nights. What an amazingly small world we live in!)
Saturday 26 March
A horrible 3.5 hr drive for Richard from Auckland to Paihia since it rained heavily, sometimes torrentially, for almost all the time. It kindly let up for a short time around 1pm when we stopped at Whangarei Town Basin for a walk along the river bank, a look at the boats and a quick sandwich lunch. 
Despite the weather it was a very interesting drive because all the rolling hills are green here (unlike most other parts of NZ we have seen in March which tend to be very parched), and we crossed several very wide and full (brown coloured), fast flowing, rivers. We even saw seriously flooded pastures. We arrived at our apartment Allview Lodge at Paihia at about 3pm - and it was immedi
ately obvious we had arrived into a sub-tropical climate. There are beautiful flowering plants and shrubs here including hibiscus and bird of paradise. The apartment's position is spectacular - we cannot stop ourselves taking photos from the wrap-round balcony to the beach below and across part of the bay! We walked along the beach and round the rocky corner to the town of Paihia on the other side where we reconnoitred restaurants for the evening, picked up leaflets about activities locally, browsed around the shops and had a beer at the bar next to the wharf.
One of the best things about 'our beach' (actually Sullivans beach) is that is it entirely dog-friendly. There is a constant flow of dogs and owners, the latter frequently enjoying chasing sticks thrown into the water. Other parts of the town are also much more dog-friendly than we have become accustomed to in NZ. There appears to be a relaxed attitude generally, probably because it is a holiday location. I finally went swimming. The water was quite warm. In the evening rain threatened again so we drove the short distance into the town and ate at 'Alfresco', and sampled wine from Karikari (where the beach scenes from 'The Piano' were filmed). We went to sleep to the sound of the waves lapping on the shore.
Friday 25 March
Sad farewells to Keith and Wendy and the dogs. Flight to Auckland included very large party of Japanese students - fortunately all well behaved. Took bus into the city. It had started raining by the time we arrived in the centre but we only had a short walk to the De Brett - very impressive accommodation with superb customer service. After being shown around the premises we set off for the harbour. It was wet and grey but we decided to take the harbour cruise as it would be our only opportunity. It proved to be very interesting and was, of course, dry and comfortable with complimentary tea and coffee and muffins. Afterwards we had a look around the inner harbour on foot and then browsed around the shops in Queen Street and the High Street - the latter far more interesting and exclusive.
After luxuriating in the wonderfully deep bath in our en suite, we joined other guests in the guests' sitting room for a complimentary drink and chat with other guests and the owner, who sounds like he originally came from the UK. Our harbour trip tickets had included a return trip to Devonport so we went there afterwards for supper and came back after dark to view the lights of the city from across the bay.
a detour to the Tutukaka coast - thought Sandy Bay and Matipouri beaches were fabulous. Then stopped off at the Whangarei falls - quite unlike the Hurura falls but equally scenic. Afterwards we drove steadily south watching our petrol gauge and comparing it with the dis
tance still to go as shown on the Navman - we did not want to have to top up the petrol! We managed it - including taking a drive along Tamiki Drive which extends from the city some miles eastwards to St Helier all along the southern shore of the harbour. There are some great beaches along this stretch - lots of people were swimming and enjoying relaxing on the sands or walking/cycling along the waterfront. Nice to be back at the De Brett. Have just luxuriated in another deep bathtub and are off to have our complimentary drink in the guests' lounge before eating in 'Kitchen', the De Brett restaurant which has a very good reputation. ... Later, a really exceptional (nouvelle cuisine - our preference) meal at Kitchen - one of the best we've had in quite some time, and with a great Pinot Noir from Amsfield in Central Otago.Monday 28 March
uch sunnier morning - and not so humid - but the weather was variable throughout the day and the wind made it seem chilly at times. Went by ferry over to Russell where we took the steep walk up to Flagstaff Hill which provides good views over Russell, to Paihia. and outwards towards the other islands in the Bay. There are 144 islands in the Bay of the Islands - only 4 have homes on them and two of the islands are privately owned. They are all protected but can be visited on a daily basis by those who have their 
own boats/kayaks etc. Unfortunately dogs are prohibited because of the native birds which have been reintroduced to the islands, particularly kiwis which are doing very well in this part of New Zealand.
We visited Pompallier (RC) Mission house in Russell which was established in 1842, and our tour included a very informative demonstration of the processes of a tannery and also of the printing press which was established in the building by the French to print various religious tracts in Maori. On the whole I was not keen on Russell. There are some nice historical houses and the foreshore must look lovely in the height of summer when all the Pohutakawa trees are in flower, but the development has resulted in a mishmash of different architectural styles. I was also unduly influenced by the nasty public toilets - something you rarely come across in NZ.
In the afternoon we took the four hour boat trip from Russell out amongst the islands of the Bay including the
farthest easterly point - to see the Hole in the Rock. Had the weather been less rough the boat would have gone through this hole. We were glad they didn't try it today. We stayed on the outside decks of the boat for the whole trip but it was pretty blowy at times and several people felt the ill-effects of the swell.
farthest easterly point - to see the Hole in the Rock. Had the weather been less rough the boat would have gone through this hole. We were glad they didn't try it today. We stayed on the outside decks of the boat for the whole trip but it was pretty blowy at times and several people felt the ill-effects of the swell.
On returning to Paihia we had an early evening dinner at 35 Degrees South - a restaurant built out over the water before returning to start our packing for the trip back to Auckland tomorrow. Nearly the end of the holiday!
Sunday 27 March
Because of our expectation of the arrival of more rough weather, we went to Kerikeri about 14 miles distant, and enjoyed looking around their farmers' market and buying some produce for our planned 'picnic supper'. I also bought a couple of felted items in their craft market. We then went down to the creek to one of NZ's historical sites and took a guided tour at the oldest stone building and oldest wooden building in New Zealand, created by early members of the Christian Missionary Society, and also looked around an early church which was part of the same settlement. Across the creek a Maori fishing village has been re-created which was equally interesting. On our retur
n journey we stopped to take a walk in a reserve beside the Haruru river - and to take photos of the Haruru horseshoe-shaped falls which were particularly impressive following the heavy rains the previous day. Some rain did fall in the early evening but we had already returned to our comfortable apartment and have remained rooted here. (Very co-incidentally the other apartment has just been occupied by a couple of Swiss women whom we met in the guests' lounge at the De Brett - they are also here for 3 nights. What an amazingly small world we live in!) Saturday 26 March
Despite the weather it was a very interesting drive because all the rolling hills are green here (unlike most other parts of NZ we have seen in March which tend to be very parched), and we crossed several very wide and full (brown coloured), fast flowing, rivers. We even saw seriously flooded pastures. We arrived at our apartment Allview Lodge at Paihia at about 3pm - and it was immedi
ately obvious we had arrived into a sub-tropical climate. There are beautiful flowering plants and shrubs here including hibiscus and bird of paradise. The apartment's position is spectacular - we cannot stop ourselves taking photos from the wrap-round balcony to the beach below and across part of the bay! We walked along the beach and round the rocky corner to the town of Paihia on the other side where we reconnoitred restaurants for the evening, picked up leaflets about activities locally, browsed around the shops and had a beer at the bar next to the wharf. One of the best things about 'our beach' (actually Sullivans beach) is that is it entirely dog-friendly. There is a constant flow of dogs and owners, the latter frequently enjoying chasing sticks thrown into the water. Other parts of the town are also much more dog-friendly than we have become accustomed to in NZ. There appears to be a relaxed attitude generally, probably because it is a holiday location. I finally went swimming. The water was quite warm. In the evening rain threatened again so we drove the short distance into the town and ate at 'Alfresco', and sampled wine from Karikari (where the beach scenes from 'The Piano' were filmed). We went to sleep to the sound of the waves lapping on the shore.
Friday 25 March
After luxuriating in the wonderfully deep bath in our en suite, we joined other guests in the guests' sitting room for a complimentary drink and chat with other guests and the owner, who sounds like he originally came from the UK. Our harbour trip tickets had included a return trip to Devonport so we went there afterwards for supper and came back after dark to view the lights of the city from across the bay.
